Brassiere



Jan.29, 1963 H. CLOVER BRASSIERE Filed Jan. 30, 1961 /E/VR/E 71.4 C'La v22 ATTOR NEYS United States Patent Office 3,075,531 Patented Jan. 29, 1963 3,075,531 BRASSIERE Henrietta Clover, 9340 Queens Blvd, Rego Park, New York, N .Y. Filed Jan. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 85,727 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-491) This invention relates in general to garment structures and in particular to a new and useful combination brassiere and midriff foundation garment.

The present invention is an improvement in foundation type garments and includes a brassiere portion including supporting cups having flexible areas defined around a portion of the edges thereof and without stiffening to provide means for holding the bust of a person without damage to the delicate skin areas but conforming with sufficient elasticity to the shape and outline of the wearers bust for comfort and support without shifting action and permitting easier breathing for the wearer.

The garment further includes a midriif section which is joined laterally to the cup portions of the brassiere but which is separated therefrom in the areas underlying the bust to permit ventilation and easy breathing at such location. The midriif portion includes a central portion which extends upwardly from the midriff portion and is joined to the brassiere portion at a location intermediate the cups. The construction permits and effects firm foundation support and control in the chest area subjacent the bust and simultaneous support of the bust in a manner permitting easy breathing and relative movement and ventilation between the brassiere portion and the midriif section of the garment.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to pro vide means for supporting a persons bust and simultaneously providing means for supporting and forming the chest lines of a person subjacent the bust in a highly efiicient and non-pressure exerting fashion, insuring great comfort to the wearer and a firm moving and support of the body portions of the wearer.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved combination brassiere and midriif garment construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foundation garment having a brassiere portion and a midriif portion connected on each side of the bust supporting cups of the brassiere portion and at a central location between the cups of the brassiere portion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved garment construction including cup portions adapted to support the bust in a free and unhindered manner and including a body encircling midriff portion connected to the cups on the outer ends thereof but being free from the cups in the area beneath them and including an elongated portion which connects to the center of the cup portion at a location between the breasts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination brassiere and midriif foundation garment in which the brassiere portion permits unhindered and effective support of the bust separate from the midriif portion but still being included with the midrilf portion to effect complete forming of the body in the chest area.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination brassiere and midriff forming garment structure in which cups are defined on the upper portion thereof for supporting the breasts which include means for preventing the garment from riding up below the breasts and provide means for good separation thereof, and further includes means for effectively forming and supporting the area of the chest below the bust to an area approximately above the waist line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination brassiere and midriif forming garment structure which is simple in design, durable in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a combination brassiere and midriff forming foundation garment constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective of the garment indicated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein includes a foundation garment generally designated 10 which comprises a midriff forming and supporting portion 12 adapted to encircle the body of the wearer immediately subjacent the bust and a brassiere portion including material forming a pair of bust support ing cups generally designated 14 and 16. The breast cups 114 and 16 are jointed together by a line of stitching 18 and by a crosspiece 21).

As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the cups 14 and 16 is formed by lower cup forming portions 22 which extend from a line central of the upper portion of the bust through the center of the bust line to the sides thereof and by an upper and outward bust forming portion 24 which defines the remaining area of the cups 14 and 16. The portions 22 advantageously include shirring 26 which extends from the central upper portion of each cup to the center between the cups and thence downwardly along the complete bust line to the side edge of each cup. The shirring portion 26 advantageously includes elastic material formed within the fabric which permits easy expansion and contraction of the bust during the breathing of the wearer. The upper portion 24 of each of the cups 14 and 16 advantageously includes a simple border area 28 which is devoid of shirring.

In accordance with the invention, the cups 14 and 16 are connected at their outer side edges to the midriif forming and supporting portion 12. The midriff forming and supporting portion 12 advantageously includes a vertically elongated double seam or rib 30 at comparable locations on each side which is fixed to the side edge of the adjacent cup portions 14 and 16 along the upper ends thereof. The midritf forming and supporting portion 12 advantageously includes panels 32 and 34 of perforated fabric or lace material on each side of the rib 30 and elastic material panels 36 at eat-ch end, one of which carries a double row set of eyes in a panel 38 and another of which carries a seam 40 with securing hooks 42 for fastening each end of the garment together after it has been positioned around the chest of the wearer.

The midriff forming and supporting portion 12 advantageously includes elongated central panels 44 and 46 made of a lace or similar material which converge at a narrow portion as and the upper end which is connected to each of the cups 1d and 16 by stitching directly below the crosspiece or rib 29.

It is a feature of the construction that the cups 14 and 16 are not connected to the rnidriff portion 12 at the location of curved seams 5d and 52. Thus, the chest portion of the wearer below the bust is firmly supported and formed while the breasts themselves are separately and independently supported and may move independently of the midriff portion. The garment also permits ventila tion in this important area and unhindered body movement with firm molding and support. The shirred area 26 which extends beneath the bust permits support and giving or breathing at such area independent or" the forming action of the midriff portion of the garment,

The garment also includes shoulder straps- 5 which are connected to the panels 36 and to acentral location at the top of the respective cup portions 14 and 16.

Thus, the device provides a very economical construction for simultaneously supporting the bust and forming and supporting the chest area of the wearer immediately below the bust in an easy and unhindered manner while still insuring the firm molding of the body and excellent comfort of the wearer.

While a specific embodiment of. the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention. principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination brassiere and midriff foundation garment comprising a brassiere. portion having'a pair of breastcups interconnected atadjacent inner portions of their circumferential edges, each cup comprising a lower breast-forming componentand an upper breast-forming component, respectively, said lower component being of an arc formation, said upper. component being substantially V-shapedand-beingjoined to said lower component along a substantially V-shaped seam extending to an apex:

at the center between-said cups to thereby complement the lower component and shape each breast cup, the circumferential edge of the cup forming the outer boundary of said lower component, an expandable shirred band substantially coextensive with and completely attached to the inner face of said circumferential edge, a midrifi portion comprising an encircling band having side panels with vertically elongated seams connected at their upper ends to each lateral edge of each of said cups, and including central panels having a curved portionv formed: at said seam which extends in a curve similar to the circumferential edge of the lower component of'said cup and upwardly and being joined to said cups at the central juncture thereof, said encircling band including connection members for fasteningthe band aroundthebody.

2. A combination brassiere and midriif forrning and supportinggarment according to claim 1, wherein saidencircling band includes a. plurality of panels having elastic material;

3. A combination brassiere and midriff' forming and supporting garment according to claim 2, wherein said encircling band includes central vertically elongated. panels of fabric material which extend-to an apex. and are. joined, at their central connections.

References Cited in thefile of thispatent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS:.

765,370 Great Britain Ian..9', T 

1. A COMBINATION BRASSIERE AND MIDRIFF FOUNDATION GARMENT COMPRISING A BRASSIERE PORTION HAVING A PAIR OF BREAST CUPS INTERCONNECTED AT ADJACENT INNER PORTIONS OF THEIR CIRCUMFERENTIAL EDGES, EACH CUP COMPRISING A LOWER BREAST-FORMING COMPONENT AND AN UPPER BREAST-FORMING COMPONENT, RESPECTIVELY, SAID LOWER COMPONENT BEING OF AN ARC FORMATION, SAID UPPER COMPONENT BEING SUBSTANTIALLY V-SHAPED AND BEING JOINED TO SAID LOWER COMPONENT ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY V-SHAPED SEAM EXTENDING TO AN APEX AT THE CENTER BETWEEN SAID CUPS TO THEREBY COMPLEMENT THE LOWER COMPONENT AND SHAPE EACH BREAST CUP, THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL EDGE OF THE CUP FORMING THE OUTER BOUNDARY OF SAID LOWER COMPONENT, AN EXPANDABLE SHIRRED BAND SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH AND COMPLETELY ATTACHED TO THE INNER FACE OF SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL EDGE, A MIDRIFF PORTION COMPRISING AN ENCIRCLING BAND HAVING SIDE PANELS WITH VERTICALLY ELONGATED SEAMS CONNECTED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS TO EACH LATERAL EDGE OF EACH OF SAID CUPS, AND INCLUDING CENTRAL PANELS HAVING A CURVED PORTION FORMED AT SAID SEAM WHICH EXTENDS IN A CURVE SIMILAR TO THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL EDGE OF THE LOWER COMPONENT OF SAID CUP AND UPWARDLY AND BEING JOINED TO SAID CUPS AT THE CENTRAL JUNCTURE THEREOF, SAID ENCIRCLING BAND INCLUDING CONNECTION MEMBERS FOR FASTENING THE BAND AROUND THE BODY. 